KRAV MAGA OPERATIONAL TRAINING UNIT 

 

 

 

Physical Fitness for Krav Maga and survival

 

Krav Maga was created with one purpose only- helping people survive violent situations. 

However, when it comes to survival, Krav Maga is not the only skill a person needs to have. Another big and crucial part of survival training should be physical fitness, and it comes hand in hand with Krav Maga, and all survival training. 

Sadly, there are many people who train in Krav Maga and other “survival systems” who have no physical fitness at all. Preparing your body physically for any survival situation is a must, for many reasons; 

- Having a full tank of gas- A man, like a machine is only good for the amount of gas that he has running it. Imagine having to fight after sprinting up a 200 Meter hill as fast as you can. People with out physical fitness will be out of gas even before the fight started. Fighting without any gas left is a bad thing. 

- Mental toughness- everyone gets tired, it’s normal. But when an untrained physically person gets tired, he will also, in many cases break down mentally. Many times even before the real physical breakdown, just because he is not use to the feeling of being very tired. Physical fitness in many cases is not only about being in good shape, but also about getting use to and knowing the feeling of being tired and being able to deal with it, not loosing control, and pushing threw it. If a person gets tired the first time in his life in a real survival situation, and never trained for it before he is in a lot of trouble. 

There are many specific exercises that are special for fight and survival training, but any training is better then no training. Get in the habit of working out. Make physical fitness a regular part of your training routine

 

Think outside the gym


When preparing for any battle, you must prepare, as much as you can, in the closest possible conditions to the ones you will have when engaging in battle. This rule applies to any kind of battle field; a boxer trains inside a ring, an infantry solider trains in rough terrain, going up and down mountains, and so on. Imagine it wasn’t like that, a boxer stepping into a ring for the first time in a real match, or a solider running up a mountain or in the river creek for his first time in a real firefight. Obviously, they would loose the fight. 

In the self defense world, most people train only inside the comfort of the gym, and in a straight line of attack. When preparing for any battle, you must prepare, as much as you can, in the closest possible conditions to the ones you will have when engaging in battle. This rule applies to any kind of battle field; a boxer trains inside a ring, an infantry solider trains in rough terrain, going up and down mountains, and so on. Imagine it wasn’t like that, a boxer stepping into a ring for the first time in a real match, or a solider running up a mountain or in the river creek for his first time in a real firefight. Obviously, they would loose the fight. 

In the self defense world, most people train only inside the comfort of the gym, and in a straight line of attack. Lately I’ve seen many self defense videos, which for example show how to effectively use the gun against a knife at close distance. The problem is that the attacker always attacks in a straight line, while there is nothing in between them to bother the scenario, and with no surprise. A knife attack is always a surprise, always at full speed, and hardly ever in a straight line of attack! Imagine sitting in a coffee shop, getting out of your car, or walking in the park with your family and then being attacked with a knife. Now that’s reality! So after training the technique in the gym, go outside and train in conditions closer to the real thing. An attack will never be in a nice big room with mirrors on the wall and mats on the floor. Training in real conditions will not only help you get ready for a real fight, bit also give you a better perspective on your techniques what works and what doesn’t work, so you could take away the bad techniques, and train more on the good ones. 

With my students I make sure to train at least one class each month outside the gym, making sure they know the feeling of being outside in reality. Think outside the gym! Lately I’ve seen many self defense videos, which for example show how to effectively use the gun against a knife at close distance. The problem is that the attacker always attacks in a straight line, while there is nothing in between them to bother the scenario, and with no surprise. A knife attack is always a surprise, always at full speed, and hardly ever in a straight line of attack! Imagine sitting in a coffee shop, getting out of your car, or walking in the park with your family and then being attacked with a knife. Now that’s reality! So after training the technique in the gym, go outside and train in conditions closer to the real thing. An attack will never be in a nice big room with mirrors on the wall and mats on the floor. Training in real conditions will not only help you get ready for a real fight, bit also give you a better perspective on your techniques what works and what doesn’t work, so you could take away the bad techniques, and train more on the good ones. 

With my students I make sure to train at least one class each month outside the gym, making sure they know the feeling of being outside in reality. Think outside the gym!

 

Don’t be an easy target

In most cases, the attacker will choose his victim. Obviously, the attacker doesn’t look for the meanest biggest looking person to pick a fight with. No one will usually start a fight if they think they will loose. What the attacker is looking for is an easy target. An easy target dose not necessarily mean a big attacker VS a much smaller opponent, but also someone that is caught unprepared, even a good fighter caught off guard is an easy target. When we train, we always train for the worst case scenario, when the attack has already started. Many people forget about prevention, something much easier then actually fighting. Prevention in most cases means being aware of the situation, and of what’s going on around you. 

two examples of an easy target; A women doing her speed walk in the park after dark with headphones blasting music in her ears, not realizing at all what’s going on around her, or the opposite, a highly trained solider that got to used to his routine and lets his guard down, also a very easy target. 

Being a hard target means being prepared and aware, and that way projecting to your surroundings a “don’t mess with me” sign, a sign those potential attackers could detect from far away, and move on. Being a hard target in most cases would prevent the attack from ever happening, much better then trying to fight it off. Don’t be easy targets; be aware of the world around you! Add that to your training

 

"Beware you of the theory"

 

Lately I see a lot of "self-defense experts" and "expert in Krav Maga" blooming everywhere. While claiming under or intending to be the best, not to mention being innovators in Krav Maga. Not only this is far from the truth, but could also be a very dangerous thing.

Krav Maga is Hebrew words for combat contact. That simple. And was created to help people save their lives and the lives of those around them in violent and deadly attacks. This is not a martial art, it is a system created to save people. This means, obviously, that lives depend on it. So be careful what you teach, and who you are learning. Krav Maga should be simple, precise, with techniques that have been tested in the field.

Only in the world and Krav Maga self defense, you have people who claim to be very dangerous men, holding the best "secrets". The reason is simple, what he teaches is only theoretical. They do not need to justify or prove the value of their techniques in a fight. The only thing that interests them is to seem good on YouTube.

Imagine a person claiming to be the best fighter in MMA and Boxing in the world. Obviously, it would be invited to get in the ring and prove it.

A true system of Krav Maga has nothing to do with the theory, or being constantly change with additions on old technology. This is helping people save lives. I do not believe in the theory. I believe in a mindset and principles, all tested, very hard and violent tests, and then test again, but this time under pressure. Again, test again under pressure and very tough and violent. Because, as a Krav Maga instructor it is my duty to my students. To be sure that if they need it, they will have the best chance to survive a real fight.

So from now on, if you see a new technique or a "special" system, test it, without compromise, without theorizing. Do it in a real way, full power. When you would be very tired physically see if the theory still works.

Remember, as long as something is not proven and demonstrate it is only theoretical.

Train yourself intelligently.

 

When you train you in real combat, you must be physically and mentally ready to attack your attacker. This is the only option for survival. If your drive is based on the choreography or theory, then changed your training method. Start your preparation by attacks from behind. Do not prepare to defend yourself! This mentality will lead you to failure during a fight. It must not have no questions or doubts in your mind, that's why you need to prepare and train you mentally and physically.
An attack is: physical assault, powerful, violent, hostile, aggressive, with or without weapons.
Your abuser "projects" for you and you need to prepare
This is what your attacker aims to make you and logically, this is what you should prepare for it but with more efficiency and more power. Prepare to win the fight!

 

L`illusion choreography

 

The biggest problem in the world of `` self défense`` is that the majority of the training is based on choreographed movements. Agreement between the upstream parties l`exécution of training with little or no training al resistance.

This generalized method Training Packages It`s not just a waste of time, but also dangerous. This gives people l`illusion qu`elles can use their acquired `` `` of training during an actual attack. This could lead to a deadly surprise.

How can you believe in a technique that has not been in a position actual speed? The answer is simple, you can not.

For this reason, your workout should be a speed and real commitment. Once you understand the principles of technical, testing, but full power .Even and again. But mostly stays away from the choreography. Although this type of training gives you the feeling d`etre a hero in your gym, but can become terribly serious in the real world.

it is better to fall al`entrainement hundred times, only to lose a single real battle.

 

Keep your training simple. But train hard. 

Nowadays, people rely too much on equipment and supplements for training. Eventually, people start to develop a dependence on those things, instead of a dependence on their ability to train hard. On a consequence, developing a mentality of excuses, rather then a warriors mentality. 
Using special equipment, supplements and training only in an air conditioned room is not bad, but every few training sessions go back to the simple stuff. Don't forget where you came from, and a big purpose of your training; to develop mental toughness. The only way to do that is through hard and simple training. No shortcuts.